On Wednesday, the European media were reporting that Salzburg starlet Erling Haaland has visited German pair RB Leipzig and Dortmund in preparation to join one of the Bundesliga teams in January transfer window.
Leipzig are of course an affiliate club of Salzburg, as Energy drink giants Red Bull own both. Die Roten Bullen are currently the favourites to sign the youngster due to the club’s links.
RB Leipzig are a developing young team under highly-rated head coach Julian Nagelsmann. Haaland is likely to fit in well into the exciting Leipzig line-up, although he may have a fight on his hands for regular first-team action.
At Dortmund, his main competition for a starting place would be former Barcelona forward Paco Alcacer. The former Valencia star has been a success with BVB. However, this season he has suffered from injury problems, leaving Lucien Favre’s team short of central attacking options.
Haaland is currently one of the brightest young stars in the European game. The 19-year-old has burst onto the scene in the last 12 months. This season he has already found the net 16 times in the Austrian Bundesliga, while also scoring on eight occasions in the Champions League.
The fact that he has started just 11 league games this season and made three substitute appearances makes his record even more impressive.
It was not his goalscoring record in the Austrian top-flight that attracted interest in the forward, more his goalscoring exploits in the Champions League. Those strikes proved that he can score goals against teams at the highest level.
His potential is no doubt massive, even if he is still slightly raw. While Manchester United have also reportedly shown an interest in the youngster, a move to the German Bundesliga seems like the logical one.
The fact that young players often thrive in the German top-flight may just be enough to persuade the Norwegian international that his future lies in Leipzig or Dortmund, and not Manchester.